Mail-box indicator



S. DAVIS.

NAIL BOXIINDICATOR. APPucArmu min MAY 27,- 1920.

Patented Mar. 1, 1921.

ref:

tJNITE s SIDNEY DAVIS, or LANKERSHIM, CALIFORNI at 1 or MAIL-Box INDICATOR.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Mar. 1921.

Application filed May 27, 1920. Serial No. 384,695.

To ail whom it may condom:

Be it known that I, SIDNEY DAVIS, a citiseen of the Unite: idtates, residing at Lankershim, in the county of Los Angeles and State of California, have invented new and useful improvements in Mail-Box Indicators, of which the'following is a specification.

This invention is an indicator for mail boxes andthe likev and has for its object the provision of an indicator of simplified con struction and one which is arranged to form a part of the usual retaining latch for the door of the box; y

it is a further object of the invention. to ovide an indicator arranged to display a urality of indicating means which may be erved from difierent directions beyond the box, this plurality of indicating means being so connected for dependent actuation that turning of one of said indicating means to either operative or inoperative position will cause similar movementof the other indicating means.

The invention will be readily understood from the following description of the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 is a side elevation of the im proved indicator partly in section, and shown operative position applied. to a mail box.

Fig. 2 is a front end view of the same.

3 is a rear end view of the same.

4,- is a top plan view of the invention with the parts in inoperative position.

Fig; 5 is a view, similar to Fig. 1, of a modified form of the invention in which onlv one indicator is employed.

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5.

The improved. indicator is shown as applied to a usual mail box including a top 1 and a hinged front door 2. A. hook handle 3 is shown as provided upon the door 1 adjacent the upper edge thereof, this hook handle being provided with a retaining lug 4 adapted to be engaged in a suitable recess provided in a cooperating latching member secured upon the top of the box. This latching member, preferably, forms a base upon which the improved indicator 'is mounted.

'7 As an instance of this arrangement the latching member 18 shown as a strip 5 projecting beyond the front edge of the top of the mail box and provided with a recess-6 for engaging lug 4 and, preferably, also provided with an upturned front end 7,

formin'ga rest for the thumb when the fingers grasp the handIeB. The strip 5 is, preferably, riveted or otherwise secured to the top of the :mail box adj acent' its rear end as shown at 8 so that the front end of the strip will have suflicient play relative to the mail box to permit of disengagement of the lug 4 from recess 6. a

The-mounting for the improved indicator provided by the strip'5 comprises an upturned lug 9 upon said strip in rear of recess 6 and an upturned rear end 10 upon. the strip. The lug 9 is provided with a suitable bearing opening 11, and the upturned end 10 is reversely bent at its upper end-to provide a bearing opening 12. i

-The indiator, preferably, comprises two signal plates arranged at right angles to one another so that said plates may be observed from-different directions beyond the mail box. One of these signal plates shown at 13 1S provided with-a reversed bend 14: along the lower edge thereof received around a rod 15 which extends through this bend and is journaled in the opening inlug 9 and in a suitable opening 16 provided in theup-- turned end 10. The front end of rod 15 1s, preferably, upturned as shown at 17 and is received wi hin a bearing formed by a re verse bend 18 at the edge of the signalplate. The second signal plate is shown at 19 journaled upon a pin 20 extending through the bearing 12, the signal plate forthis purpose,

being provided with a reversely bent lower as shown at 25 so as to have its end re"eived in the hook 24 when the parts are in operative position as shown in Fig. 1. The upper edge of plate 19 is, preferably, slightly outwardly bent as shown at 26 and is pro-' the signal plates from their indicating posi- 4 tion, as shown in Fig. l, the plate 13 and the rod 15 are turned in bearings 11 and 16 so as to swing plate 13 from upright position to a substantially horizontal position. The upturned end ofrod 15 will at the same time be turned from upright position engaging hook 24; into substantially a horizontal position. This turning movement of the upright endof rod 15 will cause the latter to abut against, one or the other of lips 28 and thereby swing plate 19 rearwardly and downwardly upon the pivot formed by rod 20. J

When it is again desired to raise the signal plates to operative position the plate 13 will be swung upwardly and the corresponding swinging movement of the upturned end of rod 15 will cause said rod to abut against,

the reversely bent hook portion 24 of plate 19 andthereby also swing this plate into uprightpositionf When the two plates have been moved to upright position the edge of plate 13 engaging in the notch 27 will hold the plates in their operative position;

'In the modification of the invention illus trated in Figs. 5 and 6 only the plate 13 is employed the means provided for retaining this plate in upright position and permitting of swinging movement thereof into inoperative position being shown as comprising a spring, preferably, a leaf spring 30 mount ed upon the strip 5 beneath the bearing 14 and having itsfree end engaging a. flattened portion 31 provided upon the. under side of bearing 14: for yieldably retaining the plate 13 in upright position.

Various changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention as claimed.

What is claimed is:

1. An indicator comprising a signal plate pivoted for swinging movement downwardly from upright signaling position and lined against axial movement, and spring means having its free end abutting against the pivotal bearing oi. said signal plate for yieldably retaining said plate in upright position.

2. An indicator comprising independently pivoted signal plates angularly disposed relative to one another and arranged tor dependent swinging movement downward from upright signaling position.

3. An indicator comprising independently pivoted signal plates angularly disposed relative to one another and arranged for dependent swinging movement downward from upright signaling position, and a resilient member for yieldably retaining both of said plates in upright position.

4. An indicator comprising signal plates ai'igularly disposed relative to one another and arranger for dependent swinging movement downward from upright signaling position, said plates arranged to engage one another for yieldably retaining the same in upright position.

An indicator comprising signal plates angularly disposed-relative to one another and arranged for swinging movement downward from upright position, and means carried byone of said plates for engaging the other plate to cause dependent swinging movement of said plates downwardly and upwardly, said plates being arranged to en gage one another for yieldably retaining the, same in upright position.

In testimony whereof .I have signed my name to this specification.

SIDNEY DAVIS. 

